Tips for Avoiding Phishing Scams
Phishing Definition: Phishingis the attempt to obtainsensitive informationsuch as usernames, passwords, andcredit carddetails (and, indirectly,money), often formaliciousreasons, by disguising as a trustworthy entity in anelectronic communication.
- Never respond to email requests for your password. There is no legitimate reason for anyone to request your password via email.
- Email display name may be phony. The email may appear to come from your bank, or “the IT Department,” but if you look closer, you will see that the From email address does not match the display name:
- Don’t click on any links. Hover your mouse over any link without clicking, and you will see where the link actually directs you.
- Poor spelling and grammar. Phishing emails very often will have many spelling errors and poor grammar.
- Urgent or threatening language. Phishing emails will sometimes try to intimidate, by threatening “account suspension” or demanding a response in a very short time frame.
- Don’t click on attachments.Attachments can contain malware or viruses. If you weren’t expecting an attachment, don’t open it!
- If you've fallen prey to a Phishing scam - Change your email password immediately!Hackers have been known to hijack an email account within 30 minutes of receiving a username and password.
- How to change your Password. Log in atyour Student Portal, click the Options button, select Change Password, and follow the instructions there.
Please report any suspected Phishing attempts. Please submit a phishing scam message by logging in to the Webmail page (webmail.brightwood.edu).Click the down arrow next to Junk button, and then click Phishing on the toolbar. Additionally, please forward the suspected email as an attachment to .
If you experience a suspected Phishing email on your tablet or smartphone, please switch to either Webmail or your Outlook client procedure above.
To test yourself on your knowledge of Phishing and Spam, you can visit these sites: